ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Today, volunteers with Maryland Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, survivors of gun violence, and local organizations against gun violence were joined by state lawmakers including Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller. Advocates urged lawmakers to build on the continued progress to address the gun violence crisis in Maryland by enacting stronger gun safety policies in this year’s legislative session.
“We’ve made great strides in Maryland to keep our loved ones safe from gun violence, but we still know that there is more work to do,” said Jennifer Yacovissi, a volunteer with the Maryland chapter of Moms Demand Action and a gun violence survivor. “I know firsthand just how hard it is to keep going in the face of tragedy. But I also know that in Maryland, we can’t give up, we won’t give up – until no more families are forced to experience the tragedy that I have at the hands of the gun industry.”
“Students aren’t just the voices of tomorrow, we’re the leaders of today. Maryland has some of the strongest gun laws in the country because of my generation’s advocacy to prevent gun violence,” said Bella Socha-Soares, a volunteer leader with the University of Maryland Students Demand Action chapter. “But we wouldn’t have rallied at the State House or met with lawmakers all day if our fight was done. When guns are the leading cause of death for young people in America, no one is safe until all of us are safe. So our fight continues.”
Last year, Governor Wes Moore signed three life-saving pieces of legislation into law: a measure to hold the firearm industry accountable when their misconduct harms Marylanders, to create a Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention, and to expand the definition of ‘rapid fire trigger activator’ to include auto sears, also known as Glock switches, banning these deadly devices in the state. This was the latest in a series of victories for gun safety in Maryland after three measures were also signed into law in 2023.
Now, advocates are continuing to urge lawmakers to make further progress on gun safety to address Maryland’s gun death rate, which disproportionately impacts communities of color in Maryland. Black people in Maryland are almost 4 times more likely than white people to die by guns and 16 times more likely to die by gun homicide.
This year, volunteers will be advocating for their lawmakers to support a new measure to prohibit the sale of pistols that are easily convertible into machine guns with the use of inexpensive, readily available accessories, which will prevent Glock and other gun manufacturers from continuing to profit off of their production of pistols that endanger Marylanders. They will also advocate for other gun safety measures including the Comprehensive Community Safety Funding Act, which will provide vital support for violence prevention and victim support programs, and the Family & Law Enforcement Protection Act, which will strengthen Maryland’s laws to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.
In an average year, 805 people die by guns in Maryland and another 1,745 are wounded. Gun violence costs Maryland $10.5 billion each year, of which $383.9 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Maryland is available here.
To speak to a local volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a volunteer with Students Demand Action, or a policy expert, please don’t hesitate to reach out.